Fry me a river
by Ursa Minor
Summary: After Sizz-Lorr's second failed attempt to restore Zim to his rightful greasy position, he takes on a new challenge in the form of Austy, a neurotic Irken female who's been hiding from the empire for 50 years. The first update in 4 years! Please R
1. Strange lights

*Author's note: This story is based upon the Invader Zim episode "The Frycook what came from all that Space" If you have not seen the episode it's about Zim's former employer, Sizz-Lorr abducting Zim and returning him to his exile on Foodcourtia.  
  
*The first chapter begins 50 years before Zim even arrives on Earth.  
  
The night air was tranquil as the stars shined brightly. It was a  
cloudless evening.  
  
"Perfect for stargazing", thought Brian easily.  
  
He was propped up against a large oak situated next to his wife Angela. The young couple could not think a more perfect moment. Everything was silent, the air was breezy but warm, and they were all alone. Or so they thought they were. Their ecstasy was soon broken by a strange flashing overhead. Brian was not one to believe in the existence of life beyond Earth but at that moment his ideas; his very thoughts were dramatically changed for this craft was obviously beyond Earthly explanation. Apparently Angela had spotted it too for her eyes were following the foreign body. Overwhelmed with curiosity, the two crept over to the edge of the hill they were standing on and peered at the scene below.  
  
The unidentified craft landed in a wide, grassy area so softly that if it had not been for the luminous lights, no creature could tell it was even there. One side opened and two moderately tall creatures stepped out. One was holding something, which Brian could not make out. Brian looked over at Angela still amazed that this entire thing was happening. The creatures gazed around at their surroundings all while mouthing words to each other.  
  
"They seem to be speaking", thought Angela but all she could make out was a muffled murmur.  
  
From the distance, the pair could tell the beings were humanoid in appearance although they did have two antennae protruding from their heads. Suddenly one of the unusual beings pointed toward the nervous couple. Shocked, they attempted to run but their legs felt rubbery and useless. Brian and Angela could only watch helplessly as the beings slowly approached, closer and closer.  
  
Brian tightly shut his eyes expecting the worst. He squeezed Angela's cold, numb hand. However nothing was happening. Brian slowly opened one terrified eye and looked up, breathing heavily. He nearly fainted when he came face to face with a pair of gleaming emerald eyes. Angela too, was staring at a slightly shorter green being with ruby eyes and curled antennae. Angela now saw what the creature was carrying. It was a tinier and much younger, Angela supposed, version of the towering creatures standing before them. The green-eyed one spoke first.  
  
"Please do not be alarmed. We have no intention of inflicting harm upon either of you."  
  
Brian was more startled by the fact that their speech was comprehensible to them. Next the red-eyed one opened its mouth to speak.  
  
"We come to your planet not to invade it but for another important purpose. We have observed you for several Earth days now and have decided on you two on this important matter."  
  
"M-matter?" Brian thought.  
  
What matter was this creature referring to and why had they been watching him and Angela? He was worried at this thought.  
  
The ruby-eyed being spoke again. "My name is Lynne and this is my  
husband, Sirrus." she pointed to the green-eyed one. "W-w-what do y-you w-want of us?" stammered Brian.  
  
He could barely speak.  
  
"Let us explain," said Sirrus. "On our home planet Irk, life is centered on War and the military while social ranking is based upon height. Our people are trained to continually conquer other worlds to expand the Irken Empire. However their method of take over uses much violence and brute force. The hapless inhabitants of the doomed planet are either eliminated or enslaved. Most Irkens don't give it a second thought and those who do are usually severely punished."  
  
Sirrus paused and looked over at the tiny creature in his wife's arms. Lynne resumed.  
  
"An entire group of Irken 'peacemakers' known as Peirkens begin to pull away from the rest of the Irken Empire. We met on one of Irk's moons along with other alien races to discuss what could be done about the Empire's cruel tendencies and brainwashing methods. For centuries we were able to meet without worry of being discovered. However recently someone in our organization was recently revealed to be a spy for the Empire. Now we are all in danger, but particularly our children."  
  
Lynne looked down at the small being in her arms.  
  
"Any Peirken child found will be immediately executed without  
question." She said tears forming in her eyes.  
  
She brushed them away.  
  
"We came to Earth knowing it was an unknown planet to the Irken  
Empire. Our daughter would be safe from harm as long as we could find  
a suitable family to care for her."  
  
Brian suddenly perked up. "Y-you mean us?" he stated confused.  
  
Sirrus nodded.  
  
"Yes," said Sirrus. "Please take and care for Austine for she will be  
in grave danger if she continues to travel with us."  
  
Angela turned to her husband.  
  
"But I don't understand," said Angela. "Why can't you two stay here as well?"  
"We would love to." started Sirrus. "However, the Irken military is  
well trained to be very persistent in search of their enemies." " They  
will find us if we continue to remain in one area. But Austine is  
safe, for the Irken authorities were unaware of her birth."  
  
Angela's soft brown eyes showed uncertainty. She had listened carefully to the whole story but did not know whether to believe it. She looked at Sirrus and Lynne who gazed sadly down at their sleeping daughter. Their faces showed genuine fear and concern for their young daughter's safety. Angela looked at Austine who seemed to have just woken up. The young Irken blinked innocently at Angela and Brian with shining emerald eyes.  
  
"Hi!" she grinned and waved at the Earth couple.  
  
Angela looked to Brian who nodded his head slowly. She nodded in return and turned to Lynne.  
  
"We'll do it."  
  
Lynne looked up slowly. Her eyes now were glimmering with tears of happiness and relief.  
  
"You will be greatly honored for overwhelming kindness," said Sirrus  
"Thank you," and he gently smiled at the young couple.  
  
Both Irkens then turned to their daughter.  
  
"Austy.Honey." Sirrus began sorrowfully "You Know what we told you  
about leaving us."  
  
Austy's eyes glinted with tears as she turned to face her father.  
  
"Yes daddy, I do."  
  
Next her mother spoke.  
  
"And remember to never reveal your true identity to anyone unless you  
are certain you can trust them." "I know Mommy," said Austy sadly.  
"One day, sweetheart we will meet again." Said her parents with  
sorrow. "We love you."  
  
Austy hugged both of her parents tightly, unwilling to let go. She finally released after several minutes. They each kissed their daughter on the forehead as they retreated back to their ship.  
  
"Bye, Bye Mommy, Bye, Bye Daddy." said Austy sadly as lowered her  
antennae slowly.  
  
Then as quickly as they had arrived the craft left and disappeared into the night sky. Angela lifted the sobbing Austy and brought her close.  
  
She whispered into her antennae, "it's okay; everything's going to be alright."  
  
Austy looked up at her foster mother and smiled weakly as Angela pulled her into a soothing embrace. She then looked at her husband. Brian was still staring at the sky, mouth hanging open, unsure of the events, which had just occurred. 


	2. Secret Emotions

"What'll it be?"  
  
A pair of exhausted purple eyes focused down on a small blob-like creature.  
  
"Yes, I'll have the 6 piece yummy nugget combo with a medium mooka  
cola" replied the pint-sized blob in a high squeaky voice.  
  
The massive clerk wearily pushed buttons on the register in front of him not even bothering to look down. He had gotten into such a dull routine that it seemed second nature to him.  
  
"Your total is 576 monies," said the towering green cashier in a  
monotone voice. "Uh, Thanks." the small creature strained her tiny  
eyes to read the name tag on the cashier's chest. ".Sizz-Lorr." "Umm Hmm," he murmured.  
  
Sizz-Lorr raised his tired self to glance around the perimeter of the ShlooGorgh's restaurant. He hadn't seen it this empty in perhaps twenty years? Twenty years? Sizz-Lorr perked up his antennae. That would have to mean that the Foodening was over! Could it be that his pain and agony was had concluded? He quickly dashed over to the nearest window and blinked at the Foodcourtian sky. Sure enough there were many crafts of all shapes and sizes entering and leaving the atmosphere. Sizz-Lorr sighed deeply. Another Foodening had at last come to an end.  
  
He gazed at a puddle of clear liquid on the floor as he rubbed his aching back and saw his weary, fatigued face staring back at him. He couldn't take another Foodening alone. It was just too much. His dazed mind began to recall why he had been stuck on Foodcourtia again for twenty years. Sizz-Lorr growled as the thought came to him. Zim. He had escaped from Foodcourtia and his banishment twice already.  
  
"Twice too many," thought Sizz-Lorr angrily.  
  
Zim should have been here for twenty years, on his feet day and night while listening to irate customers all while receiving five hours of sleep in three months! He was not going to let Zim get away with this.  
  
"I think I'll pay Zim a visit," he thought with clenched fists. "You  
will pay Zim, YOU WILL PAY!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The stars above reflected in the deep green eyes of a red-haired female. Austy sighed deeply. It was so comforting to just lie there and look at the stars even if it did make her feel a little homesick. Over the years of constantly looking over her shoulder, Austy had developed severe anxiety problems. Looking at the stars was always her foster parent's method of relieving tension. Even though she loved her adopted home she couldn't help but miss Irk although she did disagree with most Irken ways. It had been nearly 50 years living on Earth now and her parents had been wise of choosing this planet as her sanctuary. Apparently Earth was unknown to the Irken Empire for there had not been a single Irken on this planet since herself. She corrected herself. There was Zim who had just landed on Earth about 3 years ago. She remembered how nervous she had been when she first discovered his arrival. She was almost positive had been a trained military official sent by Irken authorities to capture her. She laughed slightly at the thought of Zim trying to capture her. He was nearly 1/3 of her entire height. Unable to concentrate any longer, Austy decided to take a walk. As she descended from the rooftop of her small home she caught her gaze in a window. She looked at her false human skin and green eye lenses. Her fake auburn hair was blowing in the mild evening breeze. It must have been a good disguise for she was never questioned once. She sighed once more as she jumped onto the soft grass below and glanced at her back. Any average Irken would usually carry a Pak on their backs, which held basic tools, their memory and also where information was fed to them. It was attached to their spines at the smeet's birth. Peirkens however, were not brought to life artificially and therefore lacked a Pak. This enabled Peirkens to think for themselves and not be brainwashed with the typical knowledge that was usually pumped into most Irkens. This is why they were considered dangerous to the Irken Empire and why Austy was on Earth.  
  
As she walked along the sidewalk, she paused and glanced at a strange looking house littered with animal ornaments and eerie lawn gnomes. Zim's base. She resumed walking, thankful for the cool breeze for her face was being to sweat from the contained heat of her false human face. She stopped at a familiar house and rang the doorbell. A large man in his late sixties answered the door.  
  
"Well look who it is." Said the man. Austy smiled.  
"Well don't just stand there, come on in." he said joyfully as he  
ushered Austy inside.  
  
Austy looked at her adopted father and frowned slightly. His once slick, dark hair was now a silvery gray. Angela too had thinning, gray hair, which she tried to hide by artificial coloring. It was sad to see her foster parents' age so quickly it seemed. Irkens aged much more slowly than humans and Austy was still considered very young. Angela walked into the living room.  
  
"Hello dear, Come now and take that horrid mask off so we can see your  
beautiful face!" said Angela as she pulled down the curtains.  
  
Austy grinned broadly at her foster mother. Angela had always known precisely how to cheer her when she was distressed. They both had raised and loved her as their own child. Austy slowly pulled off her artificial skin and removed her lenses revealing her glowing green skin and shining emerald eyes. Angela's warm honey eyes focused on Austy.  
  
"You've been thinking again?"  
  
Austy nodded her head looking at the floor.  
  
"I just keep wondering if they're alright. It has been ten years since  
they last responded."  
  
Angela and Brian both knew she was referring to her parents who had kept in touch with their daughter ever since they had left her here on Earth.  
  
"You know I love you both very much," said Austy. "I-it's just that I  
want to see them so much. To again reestablish the Peirken Alliance  
like it had been fifty years ago." "I would give anything to find an  
aircraft capable of traveling that massive distance across the heavens  
to search for them." said Austy.  
  
"Tell us everything that's on your mind, hun." Said Brian. "You know  
we're always willing to listen."  
  
Austy took a deep breath and began.  
  
*Sorry if that chapter wasn't as good. It will get better! There will be more Sizz-Lorr. Remember that this chapter takes place about 50 years after chapter one. Thanks for reading 


	3. Back to Earth

"Come on, come on," thought Sizz-Lorr impatiently.  
  
It had been nearly an hour since he had been suspended in Foodcourtian airspace backed up from all the people trying to leave the planet after the Foodening. He noticed a small space revealing the darkness above. He decided to take a chance and quickly wedged his large craft through the sea of vehicles. Sizz-Lorr then set his ship on a direct course for Earth. Breathing a deep sigh of relief, he sat down and leaned against his ship's interior. Sizz-Lorr began to get lost deep in his thought. How would he keep Zim from escaping a third time? He still hadn't got over the fact that Zim had passed through the Vetkin Splody System. He wondered if Zim was more trouble than he was worth.  
  
"No!" thought Sizz-Lorr.  
  
If Zim was reinstated to employment on Foodcourtia, then Sizz-Lorr could take the next Foodening off. He closed his eyes and smiled at the thought of relaxation and peace instead of the horrible conditions at ShlooGorgh's during the Foodening.  
  
He snapped out of his fantasy by his ship's computer warning him that he was in Earth's proximity. Looking up, he gazed at the small green and blue planet. Walking up to the control panel, he shouted commands to his computer. "Lock onto Zim's location."  
  
"Searching," the computer said.  
  
Within seconds a screen displaying a map appeared representing Zim's location by a white, pulsating orb. As the massive craft entered Earth's atmosphere, the friction caused it to glow a brilliant scarlet. The sun had already set on this side of the planet. Hoping the darkness would make his attack more spontaneous; Sizz-Lorr glared down at an odd-looking house that was unmistakably Zim's. He activated his jetpack and strapped on his breathing apparatus, unsure if the alien air was breathable. Cautiously, he began to lower himself attempting to land soundlessly on the ground below. However, he was descending too rapidly and landed with a ground-shaking thud. He clenched his jaw. Surely someone or something had heard him. Sure enough at the sound, Zim, who had been asleep on the sofa, awakened with a jerk. Gir, who was nearby, seemed unaffected and continued, sleeping, drool flooding out of his mouth. Dazed, Zim looked out the window to see an immense shadow lingering in his front yard. Gasping, he quickly ran to his computer.  
  
"Activate security systems," he demanded.  
  
Several lawn gnomes came lunging at Sizz-Lorr. Narrowing his purple eyes, he sent the gnomes flying with a swing of his arm. Turning around he saw that the entire house was gaining armor. He noticed the window at the side and quickly leapt, smashing through it.  
  
Zim immediately recognized his former employer and dashed to his computer deactivating the security while initializing his Voot Cruiser.  
"I won't be as easy to catch this time, Sizz-Lorr." He said as  
mechanical arms extended to restrain the intruder.  
  
Sizz-Lorr easily tore them away but the slight delay gave Zim time to reach his Voot. The furious frycook charged after Zim just as the short Irken jumped into his ship. Sizz-Lorr tightly grasped the bottom of the craft just as it took flight. Zim sighed with relief thinking he had lost his enraged employer. Zim felt a lump in his throat as he saw Sizz-Lorr's silhouette on his windshield. Although Zim could not see his expressions because of his mask, he knew Sizz-Lorr's face was red with anger. The large Irken punched through Zim's windshield shattering glass everywhere. Zim took his hands off the controls to cover his eyes, losing control of his ship. When Zim unshielded his eyes, he made the decision to abandon his craft for it was heading straight for a set of power lines. Sizz-Lorr too saw the hazard and quickly jumped onto a rooftop just before the craft collided with the transformer. The hit had caused a shower of sparks to be thrown in all directions, causing some power outages in several homes along the narrow street. Meanwhile, Zim drew out his mechanical legs desperately trying to outrun the persistent Sizz-Lorr behind him. Even though Zim was much more agile than he was, Sizz-Lorr was in excellent shape. In one last attempt, Zim leapt from the housetops. He had one last plan as he bounded for the City Park.  
  
The frycook quickly caught up with the tiny Irken just as he was scurrying up into an immense beech tree.  
  
"Hey Sizz-Lorr can't we talk about this?" said Zim trying to stall time.  
  
Sizz-Lorr snarled in reply. As Zim slid out onto a creaking limb, he gazed at the sparkling lake below suddenly getting an idea. Zim grinned wickedly as he came face to face with Sizz-Lorr. The frycook confused at this gesture laughed a little to himself.  
  
"I don't know what you're so happy about Zim, seeing that very soon  
you will again be serving on Foodcourtia."  
  
The comment didn't change Zim's evil expression.  
  
"No, I don't think so."  
  
Filled with fury, Sizz-Lorr began to walk out to Zim on the rickety branch. In normal circumstances, Sizz-Lorr would have been able to see that the branch would not support him. However, at the time his anger had taken over and stopped him from thinking clearly. Just as he stepped forward, he felt the sickening crack of wood. Zim quickly jumped onto the next highest branch. Before Sizz-Lorr had time to react, it was too late. He was falling, falling towards the dark oblivion below. His body thrashed in midair as he braced himself for the impact. The moment he hit the surface of the foreign substance, he let out a piercing cry. Every nerve ending in his body was screaming with mercy as he felt the horrible stinging sensation. It was if he was on fire. The collision had caused his mask to fall away and now he was using all his remaining strength in attempt to pull himself to the surface. But it was no use. He began to feel faint, partially from the excruciating pain and from the lack of air. He sank deeper and deeper, darkness swirling around him until everything went black.  
  
*** Please post if you like so far! 


	4. Defeat and Recollection

Austy was unsure of what was happening as she stepped out of her foster parent's home. She had seen the unearthly craft whiz by. As usual she became nervous to the underlying reason of why the outlandish vessel had landed on Earth. If it was an Irken ship, it was like none she had ever seen. Gargantuan and long yet completely silent was the craft. However, she had been surprised to see the alien being confronting the house that belonged to Zim. It had all happened so fast but could tell the being was pursuing Zim and not interested in her. Still curious, she followed them through a wild chase to the City Park. In the moonlight she could make out a familiar structure on the being's back. It was unmistakably an Irken utility pak clarifying that it was Irken. As she watched the two struggling in a tall tree she caught something that sent chills up her spine. A wicked smile was painted across the face of Zim. Austy looked down and saw the lake knowing that H2O was highly reactive with Irken skin. She was thankful that she had become Immune to its effects over all the years of living on Earth. As she continued to observe, she heard the roaring splash of body hitting water. She gazed at Zim who was quickly fleeing the scene. She felt her face grow warm with rage. How could he be so heartless? No one deserved this! Before she could ponder more on the matter, she dashed to the lakeside, gazing into the mysterious depths below. Even if he was a member of the Empire she could not just let him die down there. She quickly took a deep breath of air and dove in before she could think twice.  
  
The chilly liquid rushed around her body as she searched for the Irken. It was terribly hard to see due to the overwhelming darkness. Outstretching her arms, she began to feel around for a large fleshy object. Her arm grazed a smooth, warm body. Even though the lake was only about twelve feet deep, the depth made it impossible to see anything but black. She grasped the Irken firmly and kicked off from the bottom. He was heavy and required all of Austy's strength to pull both him and herself to the surface. Austy began to swim harder, frantically trying to reach the surface. Her head was beginning to feel light as her tightly closed eyes burned. Finally, she felt the cool breeze as a wave of fresh air swept through her body. Exhaustedly, she pulled the broad Irken to shore and collapsed, breathing heavily. She removed her human features and placed her antennae to his chest. Her antennae twitched as she heard the weak but steady beats of blood being pumped through the body. Without hesitation, she cupped her hands and gave the Irken a few abdominal thrusts to try and remove any water from his body. He coughed as he spit up several mouthfuls of clear liquid but remained unconscious. As she looked down at his blistered skin, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. He was broad Irken male with a prominent scar over his left eye. She removed her jacket and wrapped it around him, trying to soak up the liquid from his clothing.  
  
"He still could be dangerous," thought Austy as she pulled on her fake skin and eye lenses.  
  
Ducking behind a rhododendron, all she could do now was wait.  
  
************  
  
Sizz-Lorr groaned as he weakly opened his eyes, rubbing his raw skin. Looking down, he caught that he was trembling from the ghastly experience. He felt groggy and disoriented as he clutched his throbbing head. Surprised, he felt his face and gasped. In a panic, he rose and searched frantically for his air mask. He paused, coming to see that the earthen air was not toxic. Attempting to relax, he inhaled a deep breath of atmosphere. He was perplexed at how he managed to get out of that horrifying situation. Sighing deeply, he scanned his environment and noticed an odd piece of clothing lying next to him. Austy widened her eyes realizing she had forgotten to take her jacket. Perplexed, Sizz-Lorr examined the damp article wondering what it was doing there. Reaching into his pak, he removed a small device, which resembled a remote control. Typing in buttons, a rumbling was heard as his dense ship softly landed. Still holding his head, his violet eyes narrowed into an irascible glare. He took off at a run, heading down the street he came.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Austy crept out of her hiding place and glanced at the immense craft. She was now positive that he was not after her or he would have easily captured her. She was also rather certain that he was not involved in the military. Irken military officials would have carried extensive equipment. This Irken, however relied mostly on his natural abilities. Austy now approached the unusual craft. It was made of a sturdy metallic substance and built very streamlined. Running her hand over the smooth surface, she noticed a bizarre picture of a single-eyed blob creature. "ShlooGorgh's," she read the foreign word above the strange creature. She wondered what it meant. As she stared at the astounding piece of technology she was overcome with a sudden impulse.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sizz-Lorr rapidly approached the odd house in a fit of fury. He clenched his hands into fists, every muscle tightening in his body. Growling, he stormed towards Zim's front door but was instantly knocked off his feet. Confused, he got up and thrust his left arm forward only to be terminated by an invisible force.  
  
"Nooo!" he screamed, panic rising in his voice.  
  
Zim had set up an impenetrable force field. Sizz-Lorr was no technician and he had neither the time nor the skills to decipher the code, he thought as he observed Earth's sun rising. Tension hit him as he imagined himself stuck on Foodcourtia for another twenty years. His eye twitched. No, he would not be able to handle it. One more Foodening by himself was all it took to drive him over the edge. He took in deep breaths trying to relax himself but it was no use. Coming to realize that there was nothing more he could do, he tried to regain his cool as he pulled himself up. Defeated once again, he trudged back down the road, hanging his head in shame and humiliation.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Austy did not know whether it was the most intelligent decision, but she did know that it was now or never. How could she just sit back and relax on Earth when her parents were out there, possibly in grave danger? She quickly put the remaining supplies in her backpack as she rushed out the door. In it, she carried small amounts of food, a first aid kit, spare clothing, a telecommunicater, and two magnets. She always carried the magnets with her, as she was fascinated with the field of electromagnetivity. She had heard that many races of the universe based their technology upon it and wanted to understand it. Before heading for City Park, she glanced back at Angela and Brian's home. Tears started to fill her eyes but she quickly brushed them away. She could not tell them of her sudden plans. It would upset them too much. Now at a run, the craft soon came into view. She looked over her shoulder once before searching for an opening. After several minutes of scanning the ship's exterior, Austy could not find a single door, handle, window, anything. Angrily, she pounded on the side of the ship, her hand hitting the image of that strange blob creature painted on the side of the vessel. A hole in the ship suddenly appeared, giving Austy access to its foreign interior. After taking one last look at her Earthly surroundings, she climbed in, the door slamming behind her.  
  
Another twenty years of that horror. Sizz-Lorr could just not take that thought out of his mind. "Curse you Zim!" he shouted as he quivered with fury.  
  
He touched the cyclopean creature that was the ShlooGorgh's mascot and the compartment flung open. Sizz-Lorr wearily stepped into his craft. Dragging his feet, he approached his control panel and set his ship on a direct course for Foodcourtia. He collapsed on the icy metal floor as he thought back to the first time he was employed on Foodcourtia. The planet had just recently been conquered and added to the Irken Empire as an intergalactic food court. In a relatively short time, the planet had been occupied with beings of every shape and sizes all stopping for a bite to eat. The job certainly became stressful and Sizz-Lorr was happy to get any help he could receive, even someone like Zim. He remembered clearly why he had been sent there. Originally trained to be an Irken soldier, Sizz-Lorr was pulled from training by his academy professor saying he was unfit to be a soldier. Placed on temporary janitorial squad, Sizz-Lorr was later assigned the position of frycook on Foodcourtia. He remembered his peers laughing faces as he was being escorted out of the academy. He scowled.  
  
"Why had Zim been given another chance? It's not fair," thought Sizz-Lorr as he stared at the ceiling.  
  
Austy crouched in a dark corner, trying not to breathe too heavily. She hadn't been in this room long at all but her legs were already cramping up. A scratchiness in her throat suddenly made her alarmed. No, she couldn't be discovered. The urge became worse as her dry throat ached with itch. She tried swallowing and breathing deeply, but her attempts were fruitless. Her eyes flooded with tears as she desperatly tried to contain it. She couldn't hold it in any longer. A sharp, hacking coughing emitted from her throat as her eyes continued to water. Sizz-Lorr lifted up his head and perked up his antennae, tuning in the sound. Austy began to sweat under her synthetic skin as she heard echoing footsteps slowly approaching. Her body went into a spasm of tremors. Sizz-Lorr cautiously opened the storage closet and squinted in the darkness. Austy clenched her jaw as she saw the large shadow looming around the corner.  
  
*Sorry this chapter was kind of not good. For those of you who asked if this was a Zim/Sizz-Lorr romance, no it is not. The romance will happen between Austy and Sizz-Lorr later on in the story (if you could tell from this chapter) Hope you like it so far! 


	5. Tension and Anxiety

Sizz-Lorr was in a particularly down mood. Remembering his humiliating past always caused him torment. As he was wallowing in self- grief, a distinct clamor brought him out of his dismal thoughts. It was definitely created by a living creature. Sizz-Lorr quickly rose to his feet and raised his antennae as he cautiously approached his storage closet. The motion detector sensed his footsteps and the door slid open revealing his food rations and supplies. He squinted in the dimness as he felt for the light switch. Flicking it on, he blinked around the room, antennae twitching, listening for any stirring. Austy clasped her clammy palm over her mouth as her concealed face poured sweat. Her entire body began trembling uncontrollably.  
  
Sizz-Lorr, assuming he was hearing things turned around and started for the exit. Once his footsteps were no longer heard, Austy took several deep-calming gulps of air. Sizz-Lorr who had been standing outside of the closet, wheeled around and thundered back into the enclosed room.  
  
"Who are you?" Sizz-Lorr demanded.  
  
There was no response.  
  
"I know you're in here! Show yourself!" snapped Sizz-Lorr.  
  
Austy, realizing that it was useless to stay hidden slowly and reluctantly pulled herself up. Sizz-Lorr's violet eyes grew wide as he watched Austy draw herself to her full height. Although she didn't tower over him, she was still at least a good inch above Sizz-Lorr. He kept his distance, unaware of what this unusual Earth creature was capable of. Trying to prevent himself from appearing nervous, Sizz-Lorr stood up as tall as he could and spoke in a deep, intimidating voice.  
  
"How dare you try to steal my ship you thief!" he spat out.  
"I-I w-wasn't g-going t-to steal I-it." Replied Austy in an alarmed tone. "Oh, sure! You just wanted to hop along for a joy ride then!" said Sizz- Lorr growing more confident. "A-almost?" said Austy weakly.  
  
Sizz-Lorr narrowed his eyes at her.  
  
"P-please allow m-me t-to explain," stammered the frightened girl. The massive Irken sighed.  
  
"Proceed" he said, growing irritated.  
  
"M-my name is Austy. I-I saw your ship and jumped in because I.because I."  
  
Austy fished around for words while desperately trying not to reveal her underlying purpose.  
  
"I wanted to.see the universe." Said Austy quickly. "Eh?" said Sizz-Lorr confused. "Yeah that's right. It gets dull living on the same planet all your life so I saw this as a random event to explore what's really out there."  
  
Austy mentally kicked herself. She was a terrible liar. Sizz-Lorr blinked and scratched his head . "I don't see why I shouldn't just turn around and deposit you back on Earth." He said with a slight growl.  
  
Austy gasped. She had come too far to get thrown in the dust again. If she went back to Earth, who knew how long it would for another chance like this? No she would not quit. Not when she knew her parents were out there fighting for their lives.  
  
"No, Please!" she shouted as she tried to plead. "I've been waiting all my life for an opportunity like this to arise!" "Mmff," said Sizz-Lorr as he started for his control panel.  
  
Austy turned to face him.  
  
"Please. I'll do ANYTHING!" she exclaimed, nearly in tears.  
  
Sizz-Lorr put his hand to his chin.  
  
"Anything huh?" he thought.  
  
He suddenly brightened, an idea coming to him. Sizz-Lorr spun around to face Austy, an odd grin now painted across his lips. Austy shuddered a bit at his ominous smile.  
  
"Actually there is something I need." Said Sizz-Lorr. "Yes?" said Austy skeptically.  
  
**************  
Angela flopped on her side and gazed at her digital clock. 1:45. Staring up at the ceiling, she tried to imagine soothing thoughts. She just could not sleep after speaking to Austy earlier that evening. She had always known how concerned Austy was on the subject of her parents. And why shouldn't she be? They were out there, running from the strongest known military power in the universe. However, last night Angela had never heard that quizzical tone which was present in her adopted daughter's voice. She seemed unstable and uptight like a person with bipolar passing into the next phase. Angela feared that she might behave impulsively and risky. The neurotic woman did not know how she would ever carry on with life if anything happened to the only child she ever knew. Pushing away these dreadful thoughts, she looked over at her snoring husband. How was it men could always sleep so peacefully even in the most stressful situations? She nudged his solid form.  
  
"Brian!" she whispered. "Mmm w-what?" he muttered half-asleep.  
"Was it just me, or did Austy seem rather anxious last night?" said Angela. Brian yawned.  
  
"Come to think of it, she didn't appear to be herself," he said.  
  
Angela crept over to her nightstand and switched on a lamp. Picking up her phone she quickly dialed a familiar number.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Brian raising himself up.  
"I'm calling Austy to make sure she's alright," replied Angela.  
"Ang, you're gonna wake her," said Brian. "It would help me sleep better if I knew," said Angela. "Anyway, I got her answering machine."  
  
Angela dashed to her closet and pulled on a pair of tennis shoes.  
  
"Now were are you going?" said Brian. "I'm going to our daughter's home. You can come or you can stay. It's your decision," said Angela sharply.  
  
Brian sighed and grabbed a pair of his own shoes.  
  
Knowing that Austy was an insomniac, Angela was not fretful as to why Austy did not answer her phone. Oftentimes she would be on her rooftop, gazing at the night sky and scribbling in her astronomy log. However, as the Earth couple approached their foster daughter's house, their hearts sank. They gazed at a vacant roof. Panic rising, Angela raced to the front door and reached for the doorknob. To her surprise, the wooden door creaked open. The entire house was caliginous and appeared uninhabited. As Brian hurried upstairs, Angela scanned the ground level. Upon entering the kitchen, she spotted a small white sheet of paper on the translucent table. She picked it up and read the hand-written words:  
  
"I saw the chance and grabbed it. Please don't be upset. Love, Austy"  
  
Angela nearly fainted as she clutched her chest.  
  
"Brian!" she managed to choke out.  
  
Brian instantly rushed to his wife's side.  
  
"What? What is it?" he asked bracing himself for the response. "Brian," she gasped. "She's gone."  
  
************  
  
Austy could barely believe what she had just gotten herself into. She sat cross-legged on the floor of Sizz-Lorr's ship. He was situated in front of his control panel, his eyes upon her. The two had made a compromise. If Sizz-Lorr agreed not to return Austy to Earth she would work for him on an intergalactic restaurant called ShlooGorgh's. Although she was apprehensive, she did not want to be restored to Earth. Austy figured with so many races of the universe consistently on Foodcourtia, she could easily slide her way out and continue in her mission. She didn't care if he needed assistance at his restaurant. After all he was a member of the Empire and they all thought alike. Yes, this would only be temporary, she thought.  
  
Sizz-Lorr glared at the unknown species. He had not taken his eyes off her since they had made the agreement. Leaning back in his navy armchair, he scanned her foreign features. Her jade green eyes were very different from his Irken ocular organs and her face was brushed a pale, peachy tone.  
  
"Shining auburn.wait a minute. What are those thin, strand-like projections sprouting from the top of her head?" Sizz-Lorr wondered.  
  
He had just noticed that the room had been silent for quite a while now.  
  
"All the better," thought Sizz-Lorr.  
  
She would just be a temporary replacement anyway for that miserable Zim. Sizz-Lorr planned on using her in his place during the next Foodening so he could finally take a vacation. It would be her trouble. Sizz-Lorr closed his eyes and crossed his arms.  
  
"mmyep," he thought.  
  
Soon his worries would be a thing of the past.  
  
*Sorry this chapter took so long. I was busy with school and work. This chapter was probably the hardest one I had to write so far. It took so much thought and work because it is a major transition in the story. Please tell me if ya like Austy as she is my fan character and based loosely off of myself. There will be much more action and romance in upcoming chapters. Hope you like so far and thanks for reviewing. 


	6. Foodcourtia!

Austy frowned as she gazed out into the endless oblivion. What had she gotten herself into? While on Earth, she had always kept a low profile. Now here she was, flinging herself out into the open? She shook her head. The gargantuan craft had not even landed yet and she was already having second thoughts. She glanced over at the broad Irken across from her who seemed to be in a daze himself. Austy had never been considered an outgoing person, and now she had taken an occupation that required constant customer interaction. The thought terrified her. For a moment, she considered taking Sizz-Lorr's offer of returning to Earth. She quickly stopped herself. No. Her parents had never given up. They risked their lives every time they communicated with her. Austy's eyes became watery at the thought. It upset them terribly to watch their daughter grow up in front of them. Even though they were always light years away, they still taught her, scolded her, and loved her just as they were right there beside her. Austy sighed. Angela and Brian had been wonderful parents to her, but she longed for the day when she would be reunited with Sirrus and Lynne.  
  
" I'll do it. for them!" she thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sizz-Lorr stared out his windshield, pondering to himself. What had crossed his mind when he had hired this girl, this human? He leaned back further in his seat. For one thing she wasn't Irken. He thought. Since Foodcourtia was an Irken possession, everything would be written in Irk's native writing so he would have to explain all of it to her. He groaned at the thought. Also, she probably didn't have any knowledge of how to operate the equipment at ShlooGorgh's. He yanked on his antennae. That would be another tedious topic he would have to cover with her. Who knew if she would even be a suitable employee. Sizz-Lorr sighed. At least she was better than nothing. He continually repeated this statement, hoping to reassure himself.  
  
Both were pulled out of their daydreams by a high frequency sound emitted from Sizz-Lorr's control panel. Sizz-Lorr looked up to see a pinkish spinning sphere ahead. Perplexed, Austy rose to her feet to gaze at the unfamiliar planet. She looked towards Sizz-Lorr as he cautiously directed his craft through the sea of vehicles also entering Foodcourtia.  
  
"Um, excuse me sir?" she said trying to sound respectful to her new supervisor.  
  
Sizz-Lorr raised his antennae signaling for her to continue.  
  
"Um, what exactly will I be doing at ShlooGorgh's?"  
"Register," was his one-word response. "Oh, ok then," said Austy feeling slightly uneasy . At this time, they were in the Foodcourtian atmosphere and Sizz-Lorr was scanning the surface, looking for an adequate space to land his immense vessel. Spotting a location, he descended roughly on the terrain. Opening a compartment, he escorted Austy and himself out of the ship just before it was beamed into storage. Austy gaped at her foreign environment as Sizz- Lorr and she wove through the enormous crowd. Sizz-Lorr had not taken his eyes off of her, for he feared she might seize this opportunity to escape. He was sick of people escaping from him. Zim had succeeded too many times for Sizz-Lorr not to be cautious. Austy however, stayed close at his side. The frycook paused as he peered up at large building decorated with brilliant neon lights. Atop it sat an odd blob-like creature adorned with a hat stamped with an S. ShlooGorgh's. Austy was bewildered to see so many distinct races of the universe all clumped together. She gawked at the unusual restaurants dotting Foodcourtia's surface. She was awakened out of her stupor by clicking from behind her. She spun around to see Sizz-Lorr impatiently tapping his foot.  
  
"Go ahead and enter," he said sternly.  
  
Austy gazed at the purplish wave of energy that covered the entrance. She was a tad bit apprehensive to enter the restaurant. She knew she would have to make a decision soon for she heard Sizz-Lorr's irritated grumbling behind her. Before she gave it a second thought, she dashed through the door. She sighed with relief when nothing happened. The customers all glanced up from their meals to gaze at the unusual visitor. Austy, not enjoying all eyes upon her, backed into a corner.  
"Hey Austy, over here." Said Sizz-Lorr sharply as he gestured her over to the counter.  
  
Austy walked over as he proceeded to explain the strange markings on the keys. Austy half-listened. Her parents had taught her Irken text decades ago. It had taken several transmissions for them to get through each lesson but none the less she knew it rather well. She glanced at the appliances in the kitchen. For the most part they appeared to be simple mechanisms. Austy knew the ins and outs of basic appliances pretty well. One of her hobbies was to dissemble some sort of device and see how quickly it would take her to put it back together and still have it work properly. She remembered the look on her foster parents' faces when they had come home one day to see their washer and dryer in pieces. She laughed slightly at the thought.  
  
"So do you understand everything?" said Sizz-Lorr . Austy snapped out of her trance.  
  
"Wha?" she said.  
  
Sizz-Lorr slapped his forehead.  
  
"It's gonna be one of those days," he thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Austy sighed as she twirled her faux hair. It had only been 10 minutes since Sizz-Lorr had gone through all the basic procedures with her for a second time and she could already feel her anxiety developing.  
  
"I'll be right back," said Sizz-Lorr to Austy as he entered a door towards the rear of the restaurant.  
  
Austy rested her head on her hands, wishing in the back of her mind that she was back on Earth with Angela and Brian. Oh, how she missed them already. Not to mention they were probably sick with worry about her. Austy rose up as she seen two small Irken males advancing toward her, dressed in their ShlooGorgh's attire. Austy grew nervous as they continued to approach her. One of them spoke.  
  
"Uh, hi.Austy is it?" Austy nodded. " Welcome to ShlooGorgh's! My name is Gashloog and this is Caspos" he said as he pointed to the slightly shorter Irken beside him. "You're the only nonIrken ever to be employed here," said Caspos. "Are you nervous?" he asked. "Just a little," said Austy trying to sound confident. "Oh, by the way here ya go," said Gashloog as he handed Austy a pair of goggles and an apron. "It's your uniform," he stated smiling. "Boss said you wouldn't have to wear the hat though," said Caspos. "Probably cause you're so tall," he said, eyeing her towering frame. "If you ever need anything, feel free to ask either of us," said Gashloog as they both headed for the kitchen. "Thanks," said Austy stunned at their courtesy.  
  
Perhaps she was wrong about most Irkens. Austy stared at the items in her hands for several minutes before putting them on. Just as she was tying her apron, a customer approached the counter. He was a tall, broad male, dressed in a bulky, armor-like suit. Austy took a deep breath of air as she began.  
  
"Hi, Welcome to ShlooGorgh's. Can I take your or-"  
  
She was cut off by the being's acrimonious response.  
  
"I already ordered not too long ago and I just want to say that you should have your hearing checked!" "Eh," said Austy disconcerted at the consumer's curt comment. " I specifically said to leave the jetta off my sandwich but it's definitely on it!" he roared, his anger intensifying.  
"Sir, I didn't even-," replied Austy, meekly. "Nonsense! Maybe when you learn some customer appreciation, I'll come back!" he bellowed as he stormed out the exit.  
  
. Breathing heavily, Austy clutched her chest as tears began to form. She fought them back.  
  
"No Austy," she told herself. "Be strong and make it through the day."  
  
She gasped as she saw her employer's violet eyes fixed on her.  
  
"You saw the whole thing?" she asked in a low voice.  
  
Sizz-Lorr sighed. "Look Austy, I can see you're trying, but if you feel this job is too much I'll return you to-," "No, Sir. Please give me another chance. I will try harder," interrupted Austy, frantically. "Alright," said Sizz-Lorr gruffly as he trudged back into the kitchen.  
  
She rubbed her forehead, regaining her calm.  
  
"It's gonna be a long day," she thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It HAD been a long day. At least for Austy. The remainder of the day hadn't been much better for her. She gazed at the nocturnal surroundings of Foodcourtia. There were bright lights everywhere and constant traffic. Surprisingly, Sizz-Lorr allowed her to venture on her own. After she explained how exhausted she was and did not have the energy to attempt to escape, he backed off. Besides, she had said, she didn't have a vehicle to leave with. A growling from her belly startled her. She had been too upset all day to eat, but now she was famished. Deciding against ShlooGorgh's, she ventured into a nearby restaurant called Grub Demon. She gazed at the Irken menu. She politely stated her request to the cashier and took her seat. Within minutes her meal flew over to her table. The smell filled her olfactory senses as she smiled slightly. She hadn't eaten Irken food since she was a smeet. As she chewed, the familiar taste brought her back fifty years in the past.  
  
*Flashback* A slick, streamlined craft drifted through the heavens.  
  
"I still see you daddy!" said a young female Irken . "How can you see me! I have my cloaking belt on!" laughed a tall emerald- eyed Irken. The smeet giggled. "Cause you forgot to turn it on!"  
  
The green-eyed male slapped his forehead.  
  
"So I did," "Yeah, you have to push the green button first an then the red one!" said the young green-eyed female happily.  
  
The tall male put his hands on his hips.  
  
"Oh yeah Austy, how do you know?" he said smiling. "Cause I made one too!" she said happily, pulling a device from behind her back.  
  
Clamping the belt around her waist, she pushed the two buttons and in an instant she was invisible.  
  
Sirrus chuckled. "Where did she go? Where's Austy?"  
  
He felt the weight of a small body on his back. Austy laughed as she reappeared.  
  
"I'm right here daddy!" "There's my little technician," said Sirrus as placed his daughter on his shoulders.  
  
Sirrus tiptoed around the corner.  
  
"What're we doin daddy?" said Austy. "Shh, Shh, we're gonna sneak up on mommy," he said in a whisper.  
  
The ruby-eyed female was deep in her work and didn't notice the two creeping up behind her. As she felt a pair of icy fingers on her shoulder, she jumped. Clutching her chest, she spun around to face her husband and daughter.  
  
"You goofs," she said smiling as she hugged them both.  
  
Sirrus let Austy down as he turned to face his wife.  
  
"How's it look?"  
Lynne frowned. "Not good," she replied. "I don't think they're gonna let them go."  
  
Sirrus nodded. He knew she was talking about a group of Vortian scientists, imprisoned by the Irken Empire for failing to comply with Irken orders.  
  
Lynne sighed. "If this is how they treat their allies, think of how they handle their enemies," she said sadly.  
  
Austy looked up to see her parents' discouraged faces. She ran over to her mother.  
  
"What's wrong, Mommy?" she asked innocently.  
  
Lynne smiled at her daughter. "It's okay sweetie. Some people just don't tolerate anyone opposing them," "You mean, back home?" said Austy.  
  
Lynne nodded. She knew that her daughter was aware of the Irken empire's militaristic nature and that they didn't permit 'inferiors' conflicting with their intentions.  
  
Austy sighed. "Why can't we all just get along?" she said.  
  
"Exactly my question hun," said Sirrus. "But you know that we will always protect you," he said. "That's right," said Lynne. "If anything ever happens, we will make sure you are safe,"  
  
Austy grinned at her parents and hugged them. "I love you," she said to them. "Excuse me," said a distant voice. "Exxcusse meeee!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Huh," Austy was jolted back into reality.  
  
She looked over at the counter of Grub Demon's to see an irritated employee glaring at her.  
  
"Excuse me," he said. "But we're closing. You're gonna have to leave."  
  
Austy rose abruptly.  
  
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't realize how much time had gone by.  
  
The cashier just grumbled as Austy hurried out the door. She needed to find a place to stay for the night anyway. Austy wearily scanned her surroundings as she paged through her thoughts. She longed to speak with her parents. To hear their soothing words again. Now she didn't have Angela and Brian to talk to either.  
  
"Angela! Brian!" Austy yelled to herself.  
  
She had to find a way to contact them. Gazing up she noticed a large fluorescent sign indicating an Inn. She gaped at the skyscraper of a building. 'Snacky Shack' it read. This would have to be sufficient. Racing through the entrance, she looked for the front desk. Galloping up to it, she quickly asked for a room.  
  
"How many nights?" asked the clerk in a fatigued tone. "Just one," said Austy. "Room 6775, eightieth floor," replied the clerk, her stale, crimson eyes not leaving the computer screen. "Your total," said the clerk in a monotone voice, "Is 278 monies." "Can I start a personal transfer account?" said Austy.  
  
She did not have Irken currency on her at the moment but she would soon, thanks to her employment at Shloogorgh's.  
  
"Sure," replied the Irken hotel clerk in an irritated tone from behind the desk.  
  
After giving her all the standard information, Austy now had a registered personal account. She thanked the clerk as she headed to her room. As she slid her card key into the slot of the lobby hall, a white light engulfed her and she found herself on the eightieth floor.  
  
"Why do I have to be on the eightieth floor?" thought Austy as she searched for her room.  
  
She smiled as she spotted it and slid her key in, opening the electronic lock. Upon entering it she immediately noticed the large screen situated in the center. Closing the door behind her, she scanned her foreign room. It looked so .different, so. Irken. There were wires crisscrossing across the walls as tubes sprung from every which way. No décor, no pictures, no anything. Every object was operated in some way by machines. Even the bed, Austy noticed was entangled with wiring. It was contoured and angular but extremely comfortable due to motion sensors, targeting body movement. Austy walked over to the immense monitor as she booted up the CPU "Accessing communications line," said the computer.  
  
Typing in Earth's coordinates, she utilized a security system so no one could intercept her call. "Security lock activated. Contacting Earth. Please wait," replied the artificial voice.  
  
Shortly after, an image of the green and blue planet appeared. Austy swept her fingers over the keyboard as she punched in the latitude and longitude for her foster parents' home.  
  
"Connection line established," boomed the computer.  
  
The screen filled with the view of Angela and Brian's bedroom. Only they were no where to be seen. Austy became anxious as she tore away her human features.  
  
"Hello! Is anyone there? It's me Austy!" she hollered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Brian sorrowfully watched his wife sob as tears streamed down his own face. Angela looked up.  
  
"I just don't know what to do. We were supposed to protect her, now who knows what danger she is in," said Angela.  
  
The thought just made her cry even harder.  
  
"Yes, but Austy is good at taking care of herself. She's not a little girl anymore," said Brian trying to reassure himself more than his wife.  
  
The pair hadn't eaten nor had a wink of sleep since they had discovered their foster daughter's sudden departure.  
  
"Maybe we should just try to get some sleep," said Brian attempting to be calm. "No! How can you think of sleep at a time like this? Our only daughter could very well be in a life-threatening situation!" Angela shouted. "Ang, we should at least try to take our minds off of it. At least till tomorrow. Why I bet she didn't even leave the planet!" said Brian. "Brian!" Angela hissed. Didn't you read the note?"  
  
Her husband responded by gazing at the floor of their living room. Angela sighed.  
  
"I'm going upstairs to watch some t.v." she said in a low voice.  
  
Brian slowly picked himself up and followed her.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After several minutes of repeated shouting, Austy was ready to give up. Her hand reached for the maroon button, which would terminate the call. She pulled her hand back as she heard a distant thumping. Her antennae twitched, attempting to tune in the sounds.  
  
Opening her mouth, she again yelled. "I'm in here. It's me, Austy! Ang? Brian?"  
  
Angela was nearly to the top of the stairs when she heard the sound. Could it be? Was it her? Angela dashed to her bedroom, hoping that she was not hallucinating. She let out an ecstatic gasp as she saw her foster daughter's green face staring at her from her television.  
  
"Brian! Come quick!" said Angela, overjoyed.  
  
Brian ran as fast as his seventy-year-old self could carry him. He nearly fainted as he saw Austy's emerald eyes, glinting at him.  
  
"Austy!" he said. "It's so good to see you! But what was the meaning of taking off like that young lady!" he said sharply.  
"Yes, you nearly worried me to death," said Angela. "I'm sorry," said Austy. I didn't want you to be upset. It was a stupid and impulsive decision, but now I'm here so I have to deal with it," she replied.  
  
Angela became nervous.  
  
"Where exactly are you, Austy?" said Angela. "Uhh.Well. I'm on a planet millions of light years from Earth called Foodcourtia and now I'm stuck working for an ill-tempered Irken until I can find a way to escape." Said Austy.  
  
Angela collapsed on her bed at her foster daughter's words.  
  
"Don't worry," said Austy. "It's not as bad as it sounds."  
  
She then went to explain how she sneaked on Sizz-Lorr's ship and was found and how she had made a compromise with the stubborn violet-eyed Irken.  
  
"But don't worry. I'll be fine," said Austy.  
  
Angela and Brian brightened slightly.  
  
"And I'll be sure to keep in touch with you," said Austy. "But remember to make room when I come home with mom and dad," said Austy grinning. "I sure hope you find them," said Brian. "Me too," said Austy. "Me too." "Well, you two look exhausted. You go ahead and get some sleep and I'll take to ya later," said Austy. "Alright honey," said Angela. "You just remember to call." "I will," said Austy and with that she cut the transmission.  
  
Austy sighed as she dove onto her mechanized bed.  
  
"My life is doomed," she thought.  
  
*a/n: This chapter is too long but I hope ya like it anyway I had writer's block! Ahhh! Anyway this chapter is bad and sorry it took so long. I know I keep saying this but it will get better! It will it will it will! How would u rate Austy as a fan character? 


	7. Another day, Another doom

*A/N: Sorry bout that terrible format I had the previous chapters typed in. I hope it will be much easier to read now. I know it's late but I corrected all previous chapters as well.  
  
*By the way Zim will play a major role in upcoming chapters so there will definitely be more Zim. This chapter was the worst one to write but I think I will be all right on upcoming ones. So thanks for reading and reviewing. It means a lot that my story is being read and liked. (  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The massive Irken stepped up to the panel, groaning slightly. Typing in the five-digit code, the pulsating wave of energy that hung across ShlooGorgh's entrances instantly changed from a vivid orange to a soft blue. Upon entering the restaurant, the lights flickered on. The broad Irken gazed upon the rising Foodcourtian sun.  
"Mornings just come way too fast," he muttered to himself as he poured  
himself a drink.  
  
He wasn't quite ready to start his dull, monotonous work just yet. Leaning back as he sucked through his straw, he closed his eyes and imagined how different his life would be if he wasn't trapped as a frycook on this miserable planet. He had always dreamed one day he would be reinstated to an honorable position, perhaps maybe on the planetary conversion team?  
"Wake up Sizz-Lorr," he told himself.  
  
Like that would ever happen. It was funny how a single mistake had affected his life so drastically. A dinging noise awoke him from his slump. Who had entered? The restaurant was not even open yet!  
  
"Excuse me but we are not-" he stopped when he saw it was just that  
Austy human.  
"What're you doing here!" he demanded. "You're not supposed to be here  
for another two hours!"  
  
Sizz-Lorr had loathed when anyone interupted his down time. Those two hours of solitude had been heaven to him. His small apartment was really just a place to rest his tired self after a long day.  
"Uh, I just wanted to see if you needed any extra help setting up,"  
replied Austy meekly.  
  
Austy had her own ideas. Sizz-Lorr, she figured was a very stubborn Irken and was tough to compromise with especially if one was not on good terms with him. She hoped today would be a better day and this may be a good oppurtunity to get on her employer's good side. However she didn't realize it was not aiding her at all.  
  
"If I wanted help I would have asked for it!" growled Sizz-Lorr.  
"Not even to just sweep somewhere," asked Austy in a low voice.  
"Why does he despise me so much?" thought Austy on the verge of tears.  
"No!" snapped Sizz-Lorr curtly.  
"Alright, but I just wanted to apologize for my horrible excuse as a  
cashier yesterday," she stated, sobbing as she started out the door.  
  
She was halfway out the exit when Sizz-Lorr sighed and called out to her. "Get back in here." "Yes sir?" said Austy.  
"Look, Austy you have to stop being so sensitive. You told me you  
could handle this job." "Don't cry," he said sharply. " The customers  
can be rude and arrogant and they prey on insecurities. So be  
aggressive and don't let them degrade you," stated Sizz-Lorr gruffly.  
"Oh and make yourself useful. Go mop up around booth 10"  
  
Austy wiped her eyes as she dashed to retrieve her tool. As Sizz-Lorr was wiping down the front counter, she observed him locking his teeth. She wondered what he was so bitter about.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Salutations and welcome to ShlooGorgh's. My name is Austy. How may I  
help you." A lavender, crystalline being approached the counter.  
  
"Uh, yes I'll have the number 6 value meal," the customer replied cheerfully.  
"Excellent choice," said Austy. "Your total is 375. That's in monies."  
"Thank you very much ma'am," said the crystal-like creature as he took his seat.  
  
Austy sighed. It had been a much better day. Already it was mid-afternoon and she hadn't gotten one rude customer. She knew this wouldn't last however. Austy jumped slightly as she saw the large frame of her supervisor advancing towards her. Clenching her jaw, she wondered what she had done wrong this time. Sizz-Lorr observed her neurotic features and narrowed a single eye.  
  
"Relax," he said coolly. "I'm only here to remind that it's time for  
your lunch break."  
  
Austy blushed under her false skin.  
  
"Oh, right,"she said "Time already?" Leaping from behind the counter, she dashed for the exit.  
  
"Wait," said Sizz-Lorr. "Gashloog is breaking with you."  
  
Austy knew this was done purposely in the event that she tried to escape. Gashloog appeared from the kitchen.  
  
"C,mon Austy I'll show you around," said Gashloog.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"But I wouldn't suggest that one over there."  
  
Austy half-listened to Gashloog as they paced through the Foodcourtian streets. She was too busy pondering on a method of escape. If Sizz-Lorr thought she was a permenant employee he was seriously wrong. But Austy had no idea how she was going to leave. She had no vehicle and no direction of this part of the universe. She figured they were in some area of the andromeda elliptical galaxy but that still gave her little information. As she and Gashloog walked, she couldn't help but notice the constant stares from the people around her. It made her extremely uncomfortable. Her disguise was good on Earth, but here it attracted enormous attention.  
  
"But we really should decide soon cause our break won't last forever."  
continued Gashloog.  
"Huh?" was Austy's reply.  
  
She had just remembered that she was supposed to be looking for a good restaurant as this was her lunch break.  
  
"How bout that one over there," said Austy pointing to a triangular building. "Well if you insist," said Gashloog. "But I'm telling you I recommend 'Grazy Dayz.'"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As they sat down to their meals, Gashloog sensed something was wrong for she was picking at her lunch.  
  
"You're doing a great job today," said Gashloog, trying to encourage  
her. "How do you like Foodcourtia?"  
"Wha?" said Austy. "Oh, it's alright."  
"Is something wrong?" said Gashloog as he took a bite of his lunch.  
"Oh.nothing," said Austy,pausing. "It's. it's just that I think he  
hates me. He probably thinks I'm the worst employee ever."  
  
Gasloog was a little confused.  
  
"You mean.Boss?" he asked quizzically.  
"UmmHmm," said Austy.  
"Oh nonsense. He's probably not intentionally taking it out on you.  
It's just that a former employee named Zim escaped twice, despite the  
fact that he was banished.  
"Zim?" said Austy startled.  
  
It was all making sense. That's the reason why Sizz-Lorr had come to Earth in the first place. Probably also why he watched her like a hawk.  
"And I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure that he's angry at himself  
for something he did decades ago," said Gasloog finishing his meal.  
  
Austy poked her now cold food and pushed it aside. She was now buzzing with new thoughts. What had Sizz-Lorr done? Why was Zim banished and how had he ended up on Earth?  
  
Gashloog squinted at a digital clock on the wall.  
  
"We'd better get going," he said.  
  
He gazed at Austy's plate she rose out of her seat.  
  
"Austy, you've barely touched your lunch."  
"I'm just not hungry," replied Austy as they headed out the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Austy and Gashloog reentered ShlooGorgh's they gasped. The restaurant capacity had nearly tripled since they had been gone for that short period. Customers were everywhere screaming their orders. Austy could see Sizz-Lorr anxiously pushing buttons on the register. He looked up as he saw the two approach.  
  
"Great! You two are back." He paused as he set his eyes upon Austy.  
"Austy are you sure you can handle this?" asked Sizz-Lorr slightly  
muffled from all the commotion.  
  
Austy looked at at her employer with a different emotion.  
  
"Absolutely boss!" she said with sincerity.  
  
Sizz-Lorr took a deep breath as he and Austy switched and headed for the kitchen. As soon as took her post, she realized her dilemma. Customers of all shapes and sizes were all crowded around the counter.  
  
"Where's my food? I ordered 10 minutes ago!" shouted one person angrily.  
"I specifically asked for diet and I got regular!' snapped another.  
"What's taking so long?"  
" You call yourself a cashier?!"  
"Let's pick it up already!"  
  
This was Austy's fear times 100. She began to sweat as she backed up against the wall. The shadows of the irate customers loomed up over as Austy felt herself shrink back. Her veins pounded as they beat blood through her body. They were now throwing food and other objects at her, their furious shouts growing into a deafening roar. Austy threw her arms over head as she felt hot tears come.  
  
"What am I doing here?" thought Austy as she began to tremble.  
  
She suddenly clenched her fists as she remembered why she was there. For her parents. And what would they think if they saw her now, cowering in fear? She rose as her eyes narrowed into an angry glare. She remembered Sizz-Lorr's advice on not appearing weak.They had no right to make her feel this way!  
  
"EEXXCUSSE MEEE!!!"bellowed Austy, as all the customers stopped their  
shouting.  
  
She continued, now panting with fury.  
  
"If you want my attention then you're gonna have to form a single file  
line and state your request calmly," she said in a wild tone.  
"Please!" she hollered.  
  
At once the customers silently got into a straight line, utterly shocked that the quiet, mellow clerk had spoken in such an irascible tone. Austy put her hand to her head brushing her synthetic hair out of her face as she regained her calm. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted her employer, peering out at the scene. As she caught his astonished gaze, he quickly turned and dashed back into the kitchen.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Sizz-Lorr had not spoken to Austy for the rest of the day. However she took this as a compliment for the silence meant he had nothing to yell at her about. She had to admit that she was extremely surprised at her assertiveness earlier that day. It was amazing what she was capable of under pressure. As she headed out of ShlooGorgh's she gazed at the stars above, wondering again about her departure out of here. She trudged around, thinking if she should rent an apartment or just another hotel suite. The apartment would be cheaper in the long run, for she had no idea how long she would be trapped on this planet. She also did not have any method of transportation yet. That would have to be top priority for there was no other way to escape unless she stole a craft but she was highly against that idea. Remembering a decent apartment complex that Gashloog had recommended, she headed towards the right.  
  
Upon turning the corner, she overheard someone's enraged voice.  
  
"You piece of junk! Finally I'm getting rid of you!"  
  
Austy curiously peered towards the direction of the voice. A short insect- like creature was kicking her moderate-sized craft while shouting comments.  
  
"Tomorrow, you'll be sent to planet Dirt to decay while I get a  
reliable vehicle!" said the insectoid being, still staring at the odd  
craft.  
  
Austy gazed at the ship, an idea coming to her. Although the vehicle looked worn, it didn't appear to be in terrible condition.  
  
"With a little time and effort, I may be able to restore it," thought Austy.  
  
Cautiously she approached the insect-like being.  
  
"Uh, pardon me," said Austy ackwardly. "I couldn't help but overhear  
you. I just wanted to ask, are you disposing of this vehicle?"  
  
The insectoid creature backed away slightly on observing Austy's foreign human appearance.  
  
"Yeah, so I am. What's it to you?" the creature questioned.  
"Well," began Austy. "If you no longer wanted it, I was wondering if I  
may have it."  
  
The creature twithched her antennae-like projections, puzzled at Austy's request  
  
"I'll pay any price. How much do you want?" asked Austy as she pulled  
out her wallet, hoping she would take a rain check.  
"You may have it,' replied the insect being. "No charge. Just getting  
rid of it is payment enough."  
"Thank you so much," said Austy ecstatically.  
"Your welcome?" said the insectoid being as she scratched her head.  
  
Today had certainly been better for Austy. She now had a vehicle and starting planning her escape. Between her job and her research, she concluded that the repairs would take approximately a month.  
  
"I hope I can handle a month here," she thought eyeing her new ship.  
"Miss?" said the insect creature. "This suspension barge will help you  
transport that hunk of jun-.I mean excellent piece of machinery."  
  
Austy thanked her again as she and her new vehicle headed for the Red and Purple Plaza. Austy chuckled at the title of the apartments.  
  
"Wonder where they got that name?"  
  
* This chapter is kind of stupid but next chapter will be really good. ^-^ 


	8. Success is too early

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Invader Zim. It belongs to the almighty and supreme Jhonen Vasquez. Though I do own Austy and the Intergalactic Peirken Alliance.  
  
" The usual Ms. Lotch?"  
  
The clerk gazed toward the being in front of her. Slender and covered in knob-like projections, Ms. Lotch had appendages that lacked digits. Her large saucer-like eyes peered down at the smaller form beside her.  
  
"Please," answered Ms.Lotch. "Thank you Austy."  
  
The smaller creature beside Ms. Lotch fixed his mesmerizing eyes on Austy.  
  
"Mama? Why does she look so different?" he exclaimed, extending his arm at the cashier.  
  
"Airamas! Don't be rude and stop that pointing!" said Ms. Lotch as she looked at her son.  
  
She rolled her eyes as she turned again to face Austy.  
  
"Thanks again," she said as she started for her table.  
  
"Your quite welcome," replied Austy.  
  
Austy sighed as she leaned against the counter. It had been a little over a week now on Foodcoutia now, she assumed. Although it may not have seemed as long had she been on Earth. Foodcourtian days were more than twice as long as a daily Earthen rotation. Turning her head, she noticed her employer sanitizing a filthy table. Catching her gaze, he gave her a stern expression. Austy knew by now that it was his way of saying that she hadn't messed up anything yet and to keep up the good work. In fact, she had been on much better terms with him. Her socialization skills had vastly improved over the past week. Although Austy wouldn't exactly call the conversation between she and Sizz-Lorr friendly, but at least it was somewhat pleasant.  
  
A piercing sound caused her to instantly pull her herself to a standing position. She wished her false skin wasn't covering her antennae, for her hearing was muffled already. She brightened as a familiar cyclopean blob creature entered the restaurant. It was Eric. A respected technological engineer and ShlooGorgh's best customer. It wasn't surprising to see him wailing as he approached the register. Eric was very sensitive not unlike Austy. Gosh, she had learned so much about the customers in a relatively short time.  
  
"What's wrong Eric?" said Austy as she prepared to take his usual order.  
  
"Oh you know. Nothing in particular," he stated, wiping his single eye.  
  
"By the way I have a favor to ask," whispered Austy.  
  
Eric at once stopped sobbing, as it made him proud to be inquired for help.  
  
"I'm along now in the repair process of my vehicle but I'm not exactly a mechanic. The only way I've learned so much is from taking things apart and reassembling them. My parents have also showed me a thing or two. But what I'm trying to say is I have no idea what kind of engine to install into this thing," said Austy.  
  
"Well," continued Eric also in a whisper. "From your description the other day, I would say it is a skywinder 9.5. Not a bad craft. Hmm. "  
  
Eric resumed after a brief pause.  
  
"The best choice would probably be a Latgo automated system. They're very good. Efficient and relatively silent."  
  
Austy felt her face flush as she caught her employer's narrowed violet eyes upon her.  
  
"Thank you for coming to ShlooGorgh's," she boomed  
  
When Sizz-Lorr had gone back to his scrubbing, Austy resumed.  
  
"Thanks so much," she said grinning at Eric's orange face.  
  
"Anytime," responded Eric. "If you have any further questions, feel free to ask," he said, taking his seat.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Today was oddly a slow day. It was a relief to Austy. She now knew why Sizz-Lorr was irritated with his job. After all, he did put in many more hours a day than Austy and the other employees. Eyes fixed on the entrance; she waited for someone, anyone to enter. A noise that sounded like a miniature explosion emitted from the kitchen, distracting Austy from the doors. Gashloog suddenly appeared from the back, coughing while smoke poured from the kitchen.  
  
"Uh, Sir?" he choked out as peered through the gray cloud toward Sizz- Lorr. "We're having problems with the grill."  
  
Sizz-Lorr groaned.  
  
"Again?! That's the third time in two weeks!" he moaned as he stormed towards the kitchen. "Let me take a look," he said as he ushered Gashloog aside.  
  
Even though he probably wouldn't know where to begin, he refused to not even attempt. After several minutes of aggravated grumbling, Sizz-Lorr finally emerged from behind the faulty appliance.  
  
"I'm a cook not a mechanic!" he shouted angrily. "I'm calling in a professional."  
  
Meanwhile, Austy had heard the whole thing. Pondering on whether or not she should intervene, she finally found the courage to go for it.  
  
"Excuse me sir?" she asked timidly.  
  
"What?!" said Sizz-Lorr.  
  
"I've overheard your situation and just thought I would ask if I could have a look?" said Austy waiting for her negative response.  
  
Sizz-Lorr chuckled to himself at her request. What could she possibly do?  
  
"Sure. Why not?" said Sizz-Lorr with an edge of sarcasm.  
  
Austy immediately galloped into the back, hoping that Irken grills were similar to human stoves. Sizz-Lorr crossed his arms as he suspiciously eyed her progress. Pulling the tool kit closer, Austy carefully examined the delicate electronic panels. As she scanned the mechanisms for the tenth time, she spontaneously rose, startling those around her.  
  
"The problems right here," she said pointing to a single row of paneling. "And it's not major at all."  
  
Sizz-Lorr however was still sketical.  
  
"Oh then, I guess you wouldn't mind explaining it to me then," he said slyly.  
  
"Certainly," replied Austy. "We'' you've got 500 volts of electricity surging through this cord," she began. "You see this contraption," she asked gesturing towards a tiny apparatus covered in colored bands. "It's called a resistor, and it's there to try and prevent an electrical circuit overload. This entire line of resistors is shot," she said pointing to a panel off to the right. "That's not good. The electricity entering the grill is too much. It will cause the internal coil conductors to heat improperly probably causing the generated convection waves to unevenly hit the cooking surface."  
  
She took a breath as she discarded the defective circuit board. Next she replaced with an entirely new board.  
  
"With this new panel, you shouldn't have any more problems. I just hope there wasn't any internal damage," she stated gazing at her handiwork.  
  
Sizz-Lorr stared at her in astonishment. He had no idea that Austy was such a techno-whiz.  
  
"I. you.but." he stuttered.  
  
"Permission to return to my post, Sir?" asked Austy.  
  
Sizz-Lorr waved her off still shocked at her underlying ability. The violet-eyed Irken turned to Gashloog.  
  
"How's it working?" he asked.  
  
"As good as new," replied Gashloog.  
  
Sizz-Lorr shook his head as he gazed at Austy.  
  
"I gain more respect for her everyday," he thought.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Great news!"  
  
A pair of ruby eyes switched from the device in front of her to the anxious being behind. She removed her goggles, curious to his remark.  
  
"What is it Denton?" she asked trying to contain her suspense.  
  
"Only the best thing to happen to the intergalactic Peiken Alliance in 10 years, Ma'am!" he exclaimed, his antennae bouncing with excitement.  
  
"Go on, continue! And please call me Lynne! You know we don't rank by height," she said, her scarlet eyes glittering.  
  
"A member of the Irken Empire has been discovered on the planet. Her name is Tenn and it has just been confirmed that she was definitely sent to invade," said Denton.  
  
"Has my husband been informed yet?" asked Lynne.  
  
"He was one of the first to know. as he was the one to make the discovery," replied Denton, his magenta eyes focused on Lynne.  
  
"Thank you," said Lynne as she dashed out of the research lab.  
  
Punching in the access code computerized voice instantly activated.  
  
"Destination?" it questioned.  
  
"Ground level," replied Lynne.  
  
As soon as she stepped into the chamber, she was instantly rocketed upward. She only hoped her husband would be in his usual meeting place.  
  
Turning the corner, she immediately recognized Sirrus' lean silhouette.  
  
"Sirrus!" she called to him.  
  
The emerald-eyed Irken rapidly wheeled around, searching for his wife's voice.  
  
"Sirrus, I just heard the news," said Lynne as she approached the platform he was standing upon.  
  
"I always had suspicions that an Irken Invader would be sent to Meekrob," said Sirrus.  
  
"I never doubted you for a second," said Lynne as she leaned her head on her husband's shoulder.  
  
There was a long pause between them.  
  
"But you know now that it's bee-" they both spoke simultaneously.  
  
"You go on," said Lynne.  
  
"Alright," started Sirrus. "Well, we've been on Meekrob for nearly 10 years allowing no communications lines for our own safety," Sirrus continued. "But.what about our daughter's safety? You know, not a day has gone by when I haven't wondered whether she is safe."  
  
"I know," replied Lynne. "We haven't spoken to her since we've landed on Meekrob. Austy's probably scared to death. I think it's time to call and tell her she can leave Earth and travel with us. She's old enough."  
  
"I've got a better idea," said Sirrus. "Why don't we just stop on Earth and surprise her! She'll be so happy!"  
  
"Oh I suppose. But we've got to do it quickly and inconspicuously," said Lynne.  
  
Sirrus nodded as he embraced his wife. They both gazed out across the spectacular natural landscape of Meekrob. Lynne looked out at the glittering stars overhead as she sighed deeply.  
  
"I wonder if she's looking at the same sky," thought Lynne sadly.  
  
"I miss her so much," said Sirrus.  
  
"Me too," replied Lynne.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I wonder where they're at this moment," thought Austy as she gazed out into the Foodcourtian night sky.  
  
It was after closing time at ShlooGorgh's and she was just finishing off wiping off the tables. After replacing her bucket, she tossed her dirty rag into the laundry pile and waved goodbye to Gashloog and Caspos. Sizz- Lorr looked up from his pile of dishes. He removed his hands from the sink. He wanted to catch Austy before she left. If she was going to take his place during the Foodening, then she was going to have to start working in the kitchen.  
  
"Austy! Wait! Come here for a second," he called to her.  
  
Austy trudged back into the kitchen.  
  
"Alright, what did I do wrong this time?" she said, jokingly.  
  
"Ha, ha. Very funny," responded Sizz-Lorr. "Actually, I wanted to say I was impressed by your skills today."  
  
"Yes, and?" said Austy, confused as to where this conversation was leading.  
  
"And I'm promoting you to the kitchen tomorrow," he said. "That is if you can handle it."  
  
Austy frowned slightly. She was just beginning to enjoy being a cashier. And was the kitchen REALLY a promotion? Swas slightly confused. Success was too early.  
  
"Of course, Sir," she replied. "I'll be sure to be here bright and early. Thanks."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Gazing at all the unfamiliar machinery, Austy tied her synthetic hair back. She mentally paged through the information Sizz-Lorr had just given to her.  
  
"Remember Austy," she thought to herself. "Dispensers on the right, fryer on the left." Adjusting her goggles, she peered at the electronic board, which would display the customer's orders. Gashloog gazed back at her.  
  
"Are you ready, Austy?" he asked.  
  
"I think so," she replied.  
  
Good, cause we are now open."  
  
A customer approached the counter who Austy recognized as Dref.  
  
"Welcome to ShlooGorgh's! Can I take your order?" said Gashloog.  
  
Dref gazed around before coming to stare at Gashloog.  
  
"Hey, where's Austy? She knows what I always order. I want her to serve me," said Dref.  
  
Gashloog frowned.  
  
"Well sorry to disappoint you for my presence, but Austy been promoted to the Kitchen," replied Gashloog, gruffly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The day was going well until. the restaurant became busy. ShlooGorgh's became flooded with customers all demanding their orders. Austy wondered how long she could keep up this pace, for the board kept flashing one request after another. Sweat poured from beneath her synthetic skin as she struggled to dispense, fry, prepare, whatever the order called for. Suddenly feeling faint, she tried to fan herself off. But it only made it worse. She could feel her Irken face blaze with heat beneath her human exterior. It soon became clear to Austy that she could not stay ahead of the orders without being ubiquitous, which was impossible. Not when she felt so dehydrated anyway.  
  
"I have to remove the mask," she thought to herself.  
  
No! She couldn't do that. There were too many people that could see her.  
  
"I must be imagining things. The smells are getting to me," she thought placing her hand to her forehead.  
  
Getting back to work, she couldn't help but panic when everything began to swirl around her. Feeling suddenly nauseous, she dragged herself away from the hot grills over to the cool freezer. It was not helping, however, due to the contained heat of her false face.  
  
"I have to remove this thing before I die of hyperthermia!" she exclaimed to herself.  
  
(*A/N That's HYPERthermia, the opposite of HYPOthermia)  
  
Scanning her surrounding, she uneasily edged toward the inviting subzero temperatures of the freezer, not caring about the overlapping orders, which now covered the electronic board.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"My frylord?"  
  
Sizz-Lorr gazed up from his task as he tuned in to the voice.  
  
"What is it?" he said as he approached the counter.  
  
"Sir, it's just that that new shipment has just arrived and is waiting outside," stated Gashloog.  
  
"Good, I was expecting them to arrive soon," said Sizz-Lorr as he exited the restaurant.  
  
After retrieving the load of boxes, he glanced at their labels.  
  
"These all need to go back to the freezer," he thought as he again scooped up the stack.  
  
Upon entering the kitchen, the first thing he noticed was that it was messy. Then he saw that it was vacant. Sizz-Lorr scowled.  
  
She's been terrific all day and now she has to blow it," he thought. "Where is that girl?"  
"Austy! You've got customers waiting for their orders!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The cool air had done her good. Austy watched as her breath crystallized in front of her. Only a few minutes ago had she stopped sweating. She looked down at her human face gripped tightly in her palm. But she didn't care if she was exposed right now. All that mattered was to eliminate the nausea and dizziness that still shook her. Taking in several deep soothing breaths, she did not hear the freezer door creek open behind her. Just as she was beginning to feel better, she turned herself around, heading for the door. She stopped dead in her tracks as she found herself staring at her employer. His deep eyes looked even more intimidating than usual. Fumbling for her human disguise, her slippery hands forbid her from sliding it over her face.  
  
Sizz-Lorr gasped as he dropped the boxes. This person couldn't be who he thought it was. He stepped forward only to gaze at the face he had seen everyday for one and a half weeks..on the floor. He was too shocked to speak and only muttered incomprehensible gibberish.  
  
Austy collapsed onto to the floor as she felt her whole life flash before her.  
  
'I'm done. The end is near."  
  
*This was longer than I planned it to be. Anyway hope ya like this chapter. The mushy romance stuff is coming up soon. Hope I'm doing all right so far. Nothing out of character, right? 


	9. Any More Secrets?

"You! Y-you're Irken!" gasped Sizz-Lorr.

Austy withdrew further into the confines of the freezer, trembling uncontrollably and avoiding Sizz-Lorr's penetrating stare. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut she envisioned that this was all a dream. It had to be! Her heart pulsed more rapidly when she noticed that the numbing cold spreading through her body was not fading. She was still in the freezer. Fearfully, she opened her eyes only to stare at the befuddled face of her employer.

The violet-eyed Irken raised his right hand and pointed a quivering finger at her form. An astonished expression still hung on his pale green face.

"….a disguise…why…why would you hide being Irken? On Foodcourtia?"

Austy's fists relaxed involuntarily. She failed to notice her rubbery false face slide uselessly out of her grip. She knew she had to say something soon. This whole situation was becoming more suspicious by the instant.

Sizz-Lorr's bewildered expression was fading as his arm lowered. His eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. "Speak! I want answers!"

"P-please do-don't say anyt-thing!" shivered Austy.

"What!?" spat Sizz-Lorr. He could hear the incessant roar of the customers, irritable in the delay of their food. He didn't have time for this!

"Sir?" called Gashloog, nervously. "Sir! The customers demand their food sir!"

Turning on his heel, Sizz-Lorr was facing Austy again. "Get dressed," he fumed, gesturing to the mask on the floor. "You're moving."

"Moving?" replied Austy in a frantic tone. Was he moving her to another restaurant? Or worse, was he notifying the Tallest? Would she be moving to another planet? Donning her disguise, Austy followed her employer out of the freezer. "M-moving where exactly s-sir?" she said, her voice wavering.

"Register," the violet-eyed Irken growled. "You're trading places with Gashloog. You obviously can't stay in the kitchen."

Overwhelming relief surrounded her. She felt secure for the time being.

"Oh and Austy," said her boss, lowering his voice. "Prepare yourself for a long night. You still have a lot of questions to answer."

Austy felt the sickening nausea return but fought the urge to glance back as she pushed aside the swinging twin doors and approached the short-statured Irken behind the counter.

"So boss says we're switching places?"

Austy nodded, still shaking from the experience.

"Kitchen not working out for you?"

Austy shrugged.

"That's alright," said Gashloog. "You'll get it eventually. Hey, why are you shaking?"

Austy forced a smile. "I was just in the freezer…helping boss with the stock."

Handing Gashloog a spatula, Austy stepped behind the counter. Instantly she recognized familiar faces in the crowd, Shloogorgh's regulars. Although the crowd still retained its hostile atmosphere, a few individuals brightened at seeing the return of their favorite employee.

"Hey, Austy's back!"

"Finally, non-Irken service!"

"She always knows my order, mmmhhmmm…"

Gashloog stared bleakly at his spatula. "At least you like me," he said to the cooking utensil before trotting off into the kitchen.

Austy frowned. "It's not you Gashloog," she thought. "It's just the marvelous reputation of the empire."

* * *

Sizz-Lorr peered into a bucket of soapy solution, the reflection of his violet eyes seemingly staring back at him. He dunked a sponge into the liquid, causing his reflected face to ripple and fragment. By now, the large crowd had died down and the restaurant was noticeably quieter. The frycook was relieved. The day had been overwhelmingly stressful and the massive Irken was tired. What he found particularly unsettling was this new information about Austy. He glanced momentarily at the girl before resuming his tedious task, cleaning booth 12. How was it that booth 12 always got so disgusting? The violet-eyed Irken silently cursed the Zorgonean family who always sat here.

An intrusive fear suddenly seized him. What if Austy had been sent by the Tallest to monitor him? If so, they would know about Zim's humiliating escape from him. Twice.

Sizz-Lorr quickly pushed this scenario from his mind. If this was true, she was certainly a talented and well-trained actress. Besides, the situation didn't make sense. Why would she have been on Earth in the first place? Sighing, Sizz-Lorr found himself no less confused than before.

"Sir?" the faint voice barely caught the frycook's antennae.

"Uhhh…Sir?" Louder, more forceful this time.

"Sir!"

Annoyed, Sizz-Lorr spun around. It was Caspos. "Permission to take my 30 minute sir?" said the short, stout Irken, saluting.

"Granted," said Sizz-Lorr, flatly.

"And sir? Shall I have Austy accompany me?"

"No," replied the violet-eyed Irken, glancing sideways at the girl behind the register. "She can take her own break today. I think she's more capable than we originally thought…"

* * *

Anxiety was building. Her Irken heart pumped furiously and her breathing, shallow. Gashloog and Caspos were mopping the floor of the deserted restaurant. They would be leaving shortly, leaving her to deal with the wrath of her employer. Although she had reviewed exactly what she was going to say to the frylord many times that day, she couldn't help but feel nervous. Her parents, both biological and foster, had instructed her to never let guard down, that trustworthy people, particularly Irkens, were difficult to come by. Now an Irken in a considerably high rank knew her alias! How could she have been so careless?

As she finished cleaning the last dining booth, Gashloog and Caspos pushed through the twin doors to punch out. Her squeedlyspooch lurched. Minutes later, the pair emerged.

"Goodnight Austy!" said Gashloog.

"Seeya tomorrow!" called Caspos.

Austy half-smiled and waved. They both waved back and exited the restaurant.

"Austy!" yelled Sizz-Lorr from the kitchen. "Come back here and help me with these dishes."

Suddenly feeling very nauseated, Austy stood up and slowly made her way to the kitchen.

"I'll wash. You dry." said the violet-eyed Irken, gesturing to the damp dishes. Austy nodded stiffly.

"Sizz-Lorr glanced at her and narrowed a single eye. "Ease up will you? You're not on trial."

Austy would have laughed if the circumstances had been different.

"And take that mask off!" said Sizz-Lorr, eyeing her false face. "You're not fooling anyone here."

Austy swallowed hard and quickly looked around the kitchen. Sizz-Lorr sighed impatiently.

"Satisfied?" he said with an edge of frustration. "No people, no windows, no hidden cameras."

She flushed in embarrassment before peeling the mask off of her face. The cool air on her skin was a welcome after a long work day. The combined efforts of the mask and sweating had caused her antennae to become plastered to her sticky scalp. She gently shook them free. Next, she removed the rubbery gloves which enveloped her green hands. Flexing her fingers, she noticed how pale and shriveled they were from lack of exposure. Temporarily pausing his task, Sizz-Lorr eyed the true face of the employee he thought he had known. Her long round face was noticeably paler than any other Irken he had ever seen. Probably from obscuring it behind that awful mask. Her long black antennae curled angularly behind her head, characteristic of Irken females. Sizz-Lorr's gaze fell to her eyes. She must have been wearing false lenses that mimicked the appearance of the human eye. They looked outlandish next to her Irken features.

"What about your eyes?" spoke Sizz-Lorr with more curiosity than annoyance.

"Uh…I'd rather leave them. They're painful and difficult to remove." Said Austy. She wasn't completely lying. They really were uncomfortable to take out. But the true reason for avoiding this was Sizz-Lorr had not yet seen her eyes. You could identify an Irken reasonably well by their face, but eyes were a dead give-away. Austy decided the less that Sizz-Lorr knew about her appearance, the better.

"Finished?" asked the massive Irken. Austy nodded. "Good, because I've got some questions."

She froze. He had caught her off-guard.

"Why are you impersonating a non-Irken? Give me a good reason why I shouldn't dial the Tallest right now and tell them." Sizz-Lorr watched her expression inquisitively. He had no intention of doing the latter but he was anxious to see how she would react. The truth was that Sizz-Lorr would be a fool to give a reason for the Tallest to remove her from Shloogorgh's employment. She was hard-working, good with the customers, and could do minor repair work on faulty kitchen appliances; a far better replacement for the incompetent Zim. But, Sizz-Lorr decided, there was no reason for her to know any of this.

Austy was panicking. Everything that she had rehearsed earlier had mysteriously vacated her brain. Frantically, she strained her mind, trying to remember anything that would be of value to her. Suddenly, something came to her, something that she remembered her parents discussing eons ago…

"d.a.d.a.," she said, softly.

"What?" spat the frycook.

"Don't ask, don't acknowledge,"

Sizz-Lorr stared at her for several seconds before turning back to the dishes. "Fine," he said, dully. "If that's the way you want it, so be it."

Relieved, Austy released her breath slowly. It had worked. Because most of the empire's success lay in its relatively secretive military, most Irkens abided by a pact known as 'Don't ask, Don't acknowledge', or more simply, the DADA pact. Although Irken invaders were highly publicized and largely regarded as military heroes of the empire, the DADA pact guaranteed some degree of privacy to such Irkens encoded as preemptive spies and progress evaluation chiefs, involving the details of their missions.

Inhaling deeply, Austy reached for a plate. It was fortunate she was Irken. Irkens only respected the DADA pact when it applied to other Irkens. But then again, would she have been involved in any of this if she wasn't Irken?

A long silence had begun between the pair. It had been about an hour since Austy and Sizz-Lorr had spoken to each other. She was at a loss for words though something was nagging the back of her mind. Although the DADA pact protected her from further questioning, it would not guarantee her safety from Sizz-Lorr reporting or exposing her.

"Excuse me sir?" she said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Hmm?"

"Will I be doing overtime after tonight?"

"Yes," Sizz-Lorr responded, confirming Austy's suspicions. She was still indebted to him. "I need you here every night to begin your training for the approaching Foodening."

"If I may ask sir," began Austy, a bit unsurely. "What exactly is the Foodening? Gashloog told me about it briefly but-"

"We'll discuss that at another time," interjected Sizz-Lorr, not wishing to delve into the details quite yet.

Austy gave a quick nod in acknowledgement of her supervisor's words though silently suppressing her frustration and fear. This place was beginning to feel like a prison. She reminded herself that this was temporary. Once her ship was assembled, she could escape this greasy spoon and be re-united with her family.

It was not long before the pair fell into silence again. No sounds were heard except for the clinking of dishes or the occasional Snacky cab flying by. As he continued to clean dishes, Sizz-Lorr contemplated the upcoming Foodening. He had calculated the arrival of the next one to be about four-five months. That would be plenty of time to train this girl. He had to admit, hiring Austy had been, for lack of a better word, a most interesting experience for himself and Shloogorgh's. The girl was full of surprises. Just when one thought they had begun to understand her, they realized they were barely scratching the surface. Sizz-Lorr knew she liked it that way. In the three weeks since hiring her, he had gained some degree of respect for her. He almost felt guilty for concealing the details of the Great Foodening with her. Almost. The prospect of twenty years vacation time was far too enticing. Spraying another dish with soapy liquid, Sizz-Lorr gave Austy a fleeting look as she wordlessly dried the wet dishes and stacked them neatly. He wondered if she was withholding any more major secrets. He hoped not. He wasn't sure how many more he could take.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello Hello! I never thought I would be coming back to this story to update it! I can't thank you guys enough for your generous and kind reviews. You gave me the kick in the rear I needed (and deserved). I couldn't believe I was still getting hits and reviews on this long after my last update. But I'm so glad I came back to writing it. I really do enjoy writing this and really hope to finish it. Thank you all so much again.

If you did end up reading this chapter, go easy on me. This chapter was definitely one of the hardest ones to write and I believe I stopped updating for the longest time because of I didn't know how to write it and make it good. I'm still not completely satisfied with it. Anyways, I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy it and I promise the next update will not take another four years!

-Ursa


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